MODERN/POSTMODERN POETRY ANALYSIS PROJECT: The Steps
DIRECTIONS: Follow the steps below in order to build a deeper understanding of your selected
poem. I expect you to take notes that are categorized under each step. I will collect these notes
with your final draft. Your final draft and presentation should include your conclusions for each of
these categories.
1. Read the poem aloud twice.
2. Do a brief, preliminary rhetorical analysis by identifying anything you can already discern at first
reading about the:
Persona
Audience
Purpose
Argument
3. Identify the literal level of meaning to the best of your ability.
a. Paraphrase aloud
b. Consider implication of title
4. Identify key examples of diction:
a. Look up any unfamiliar words.
b. Identify any ambiguous words or phrases.
c. Check for allusions (e.g. to mythology, history, etc.) and look them up if you do not know
them.
d. Describe/categorize the diction for the poem as a whole.
5. Identify syntactic patterns:
a. Identify rhetorical devices (schemes and tropes), especially any you see used more than once
or twice. Review our schemes and tropes handout or go here for help regarding schemes and
tropes: http://rhetoric.byu.edu/figures/Schemes%20and%20Tropes.htm
b. Identify patterns of emphasis and repetition.
6. Consider sound:
a. Mark any examples of heavy use of alliteration (tends to create a harsh or cacophonous sound)
and assonance (tends to create a pleasant or euphonious sound).
b. Is the sound of the language overall euphonious (soft, pleasant or flowing) or cacophonous
(harsh or grating)? Or is there an alternation between the two?
c. Consider rhyme and repetition. Does the poem use regular rhyme? Is there a break in the
rhyme scheme? If it shifts or changes, mark these places in the text.
d. Is the rhythm, or meter of the poem, consistent? If it shifts or changes, mark these places in
the text.
e. Consider what effect shifts in sound, rhyme, and rhythm have on the overall meaning or tone.
7. Identify imagery:
a. Identify repeated and/or extended images. Consider what senses they engage.
b. Describe/categorize the imagery for the poem as a whole.
MODERN/POSTMODERN POETRY
PROJECT
STEP 1: Select any poem that appeals to you from one of the following poets. You may also
choose a poet that is not listed, but you must get my approval first:
Robert Frost
Wallace Stevens
Marianne Moore
Ezra Pound
H.D.
Richard Wilbur
William Carlos Williams
Amy Lowell
Adrianne Rich
E.E. Cummings
Sylvia Plath
Carl Sandburg
Here are some suggested resources for finding poems & background information:
1. www.poetryfoundation.org
2. www.poets.org
3. Destiny – Poetry for Students
4. LMC Book Cart
STEP 2: Get my approval on your poem. 1st come, 1st serve!
STEP 3: Do some research on your author. Then, you should follow the instructions and
complete all of the sections on the back of this page.
STEP 4: Write a 4-5 paragraph analysis essay about your poem, incorporating the
information on your author as well as what you found in Step 3. You must be specific –
quote lines, explain rhetorical & poetic devices, etc. Overall, be sure that your essay answers
these questions:
a. What is the poem about?
b. What is the speaker’s message or argument?
c. How does the speaker feel about the subject matter, and how do we know?
(Diction creates tone.)
d. What was it about this poem that originally appealed to you? How did your view
of the poem change after this deeper analysis?
STEP 5: Hand in a copy of your selected poem to me a day before your presentation.
STEP 6: On _____________________________, you will read your selected poem to the
class and then orally present a summarized version of your analysis paper.
GRADING CRITERIA:
1. In-class work ethic – Are you using class time efficiently? Are you on-task while in the
computer lab? (10 points)
2. Poetry reading – Did you effectively read your poem with proper voice & tone?
(5 points)
3. Oral presentation – Do you explain the significance of the poem and answer the
required questions? (10 points)
4. Analysis Essay & Notes – Is your final essay in MLA format? Is there a works cited page?
Are all questions answered using specific examples and support? Did you hand in your
notes? (25 points)